Minor injuries are a natural part of childhood, and every child occasionally experiences minor eye irritation or a black eye. However, it is important to know when to seek medical help.
"When common irritants such as sand or sunscreen enter a child’s eye, flushing the eye with lukewarm water for approximately two minutes will often remove the substance and alleviate pain,” says Diane Williams, RN, phone triage nurse at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “For more serious injuries or irritants, additional treatment may be necessary.”
Removing Harmful Materials
If dangerous substances such as ammonia or bleach enter your child’s eye, irrigate the eye for five minutes and call poison control or visit the emergency department (ED).
“For eye trauma caused by an object traveling at a high speed, such as something ejected from a lawnmower, a golf ball, baseball or paintball, take your child to the ED immediately,” Williams says. “It is extremely important not to rub the eye as the particle could cause damage to the cornea. If an object penetrates the eye, tape a small paper cup over the area to protect it and go to the ED.”
Easing the Pain
If a child receives a black eye or contusion, alternate using warm and cold compresses and administer acetominophen for pain since other medications can increase bleeding. Most black eyes are not serious, but they can occur with head trauma and should receive medical attention if you aren’t sure how the injury occurred.
For more information, call the pediatric nurses at 314.454.KIDS (5437) or 800.678.KIDS.